# OpenHarness **Repository Path**: agesora/OpenHarness ## Basic Information - **Project Name**: OpenHarness - **Description**: No description available - **Primary Language**: Python - **License**: MIT - **Default Branch**: main - **Homepage**: None - **GVP Project**: No ## Statistics - **Stars**: 0 - **Forks**: 0 - **Created**: 2026-04-05 - **Last Updated**: 2026-04-05 ## Categories & Tags **Categories**: Uncategorized **Tags**: None ## README

`oh` — OpenHarness: Open Agent Harness

**OpenHarness** delivers core lightweight agent infrastructure: tool-use, skills, memory, and multi-agent coordination. **Join the community**: contribute **Harness** for open agent development.

One Command (**oh**) to Launch **OpenHarness** and Unlock All Agent Harnesses. Supports CLI agent integration including OpenClaw, nanobot, Cursor, and more.

OpenHarness Terminal Demo

How Agent Harness Works

--- ## ✨ OpenHarness's Key Harness Features

🔄 Agent Loop

• Streaming Tool-Call Cycle

• API Retry with Exponential Backoff

• Parallel Tool Execution

• Token Counting & Cost Tracking

🔧 Harness Toolkit

• 43 Tools (File, Shell, Search, Web, MCP)

• On-Demand Skill Loading (.md)

• Plugin Ecosystem (Skills + Hooks + Agents)

• Compatible with anthropics/skills & plugins

🧠 Context & Memory

• CLAUDE.md Discovery & Injection

• Context Compression (Auto-Compact)

• MEMORY.md Persistent Memory

• Session Resume & History

🛡️ Governance

• Multi-Level Permission Modes

• Path-Level & Command Rules

• PreToolUse / PostToolUse Hooks

• Interactive Approval Dialogs

🤝 Swarm Coordination

• Subagent Spawning & Delegation

• Team Registry & Task Management

• Background Task Lifecycle

• ClawTeam Integration (Roadmap)

--- ## 🤔 What is an Agent Harness? An **Agent Harness** is the complete infrastructure that wraps around an LLM to make it a functional agent. The model provides intelligence; the harness provides **hands, eyes, memory, and safety boundaries**.

Harness = Tools + Knowledge + Observation + Action + Permissions

OpenHarness is an open-source Python implementation designed for **researchers, builders, and the community**: - **Understand** how production AI agents work under the hood - **Experiment** with cutting-edge tools, skills, and agent coordination patterns - **Extend** the harness with custom plugins, providers, and domain knowledge - **Build** specialized agents on top of proven architecture --- ## 📰 What's New - **2026-04-01** 🎨 **v0.1.0** — Initial **OpenHarness** open-source release featuring complete Harness architecture:

Start here: Quick Start · Provider Compatibility · Showcase · Contributing · Changelog

--- ## 🚀 Quick Start ### Prerequisites - **Python 3.10+** and [uv](https://docs.astral.sh/uv/) - **Node.js 18+** (optional, for the React terminal UI) - An LLM API key ### One-Command Demo ```bash ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your_key uv run oh -p "Inspect this repository and list the top 3 refactors" ``` ### Install & Run ```bash # Clone and install git clone https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenHarness.git cd OpenHarness uv sync --extra dev # Example: use Kimi as the backend export ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=https://api.moonshot.cn/anthropic export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your_kimi_api_key export ANTHROPIC_MODEL=kimi-k2.5 # Launch oh # if venv is activated uv run oh # without activating venv ```

OpenHarness Landing Screen

### Non-Interactive Mode (Pipes & Scripts) ```bash # Single prompt → stdout oh -p "Explain this codebase" # JSON output for programmatic use oh -p "List all functions in main.py" --output-format json # Stream JSON events in real-time oh -p "Fix the bug" --output-format stream-json ``` ## 🔌 Provider Compatibility OpenHarness supports two API formats: **Anthropic** (default) and **OpenAI-compatible** (`--api-format openai`). The OpenAI format covers a wide range of providers. ### Anthropic Format (default) | Provider profile | Detection signal | Notes | |------------------|------------------|-------| | **Anthropic** | Default when no custom `ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL` is set | Default Claude-oriented setup | | **Moonshot / Kimi** | `ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL` contains `moonshot` or model starts with `kimi` | Anthropic-compatible endpoint | | **Vertex-compatible** | Base URL contains `vertex` or `aiplatform` | Anthropic-style gateways on Vertex | | **Bedrock-compatible** | Base URL contains `bedrock` | Bedrock-style deployments | | **Generic Anthropic-compatible** | Any other explicit `ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL` | Proxies and internal gateways | ### OpenAI Format (`--api-format openai`) Any provider implementing the OpenAI `/v1/chat/completions` API works out of the box: | Provider | Base URL | Example models | |----------|----------|----------------| | **Alibaba DashScope** | `https://dashscope.aliyuncs.com/compatible-mode/v1` | `qwen3.5-flash`, `qwen3-max`, `deepseek-r1` | | **DeepSeek** | `https://api.deepseek.com` | `deepseek-chat`, `deepseek-reasoner` | | **OpenAI** | `https://api.openai.com/v1` | `gpt-4o`, `gpt-4o-mini` | | **GitHub Models** | `https://models.inference.ai.azure.com` | `gpt-4o`, `Meta-Llama-3.1-405B-Instruct` | | **SiliconFlow** | `https://api.siliconflow.cn/v1` | `deepseek-ai/DeepSeek-V3` | | **Groq** | `https://api.groq.com/openai/v1` | `llama-3.3-70b-versatile` | | **Ollama (local)** | `http://localhost:11434/v1` | Any local model | ```bash # Example: use DashScope uv run oh --api-format openai \ --base-url "https://dashscope.aliyuncs.com/compatible-mode/v1" \ --api-key "sk-xxx" \ --model "qwen3.5-flash" # Or via environment variables export OPENHARNESS_API_FORMAT=openai export OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-xxx export OPENHARNESS_BASE_URL=https://dashscope.aliyuncs.com/compatible-mode/v1 export OPENHARNESS_MODEL=qwen3.5-flash uv run oh ``` --- ## 🏗️ Harness Architecture OpenHarness implements the core Agent Harness pattern with 10 subsystems: ``` openharness/ engine/ # 🧠 Agent Loop — query → stream → tool-call → loop tools/ # 🔧 43 Tools — file I/O, shell, search, web, MCP skills/ # 📚 Knowledge — on-demand skill loading (.md files) plugins/ # 🔌 Extensions — commands, hooks, agents, MCP servers permissions/ # 🛡️ Safety — multi-level modes, path rules, command deny hooks/ # ⚡ Lifecycle — PreToolUse/PostToolUse event hooks commands/ # 💬 54 Commands — /help, /commit, /plan, /resume, ... mcp/ # 🌐 MCP — Model Context Protocol client memory/ # 🧠 Memory — persistent cross-session knowledge tasks/ # 📋 Tasks — background task management coordinator/ # 🤝 Multi-Agent — subagent spawning, team coordination prompts/ # 📝 Context — system prompt assembly, CLAUDE.md, skills config/ # ⚙️ Settings — multi-layer config, migrations ui/ # 🖥️ React TUI — backend protocol + frontend ``` ### The Agent Loop The heart of the harness. One loop, endlessly composable: ```python while True: response = await api.stream(messages, tools) if response.stop_reason != "tool_use": break # Model is done for tool_call in response.tool_uses: # Permission check → Hook → Execute → Hook → Result result = await harness.execute_tool(tool_call) messages.append(tool_results) # Loop continues — model sees results, decides next action ``` The model decides **what** to do. The harness handles **how** — safely, efficiently, with full observability. ### Harness Flow ```mermaid flowchart LR U[User Prompt] --> C[CLI or React TUI] C --> R[RuntimeBundle] R --> Q[QueryEngine] Q --> A[Anthropic-compatible API Client] A -->|tool_use| T[Tool Registry] T --> P[Permissions + Hooks] P --> X[Files Shell Web MCP Tasks] X --> Q ``` --- ## ✨ Features ### 🔧 Tools (43+) | Category | Tools | Description | |----------|-------|-------------| | **File I/O** | Bash, Read, Write, Edit, Glob, Grep | Core file operations with permission checks | | **Search** | WebFetch, WebSearch, ToolSearch, LSP | Web and code search capabilities | | **Notebook** | NotebookEdit | Jupyter notebook cell editing | | **Agent** | Agent, SendMessage, TeamCreate/Delete | Subagent spawning and coordination | | **Task** | TaskCreate/Get/List/Update/Stop/Output | Background task management | | **MCP** | MCPTool, ListMcpResources, ReadMcpResource | Model Context Protocol integration | | **Mode** | EnterPlanMode, ExitPlanMode, Worktree | Workflow mode switching | | **Schedule** | CronCreate/List/Delete, RemoteTrigger | Scheduled and remote execution | | **Meta** | Skill, Config, Brief, Sleep, AskUser | Knowledge loading, configuration, interaction | Every tool has: - **Pydantic input validation** — structured, type-safe inputs - **Self-describing JSON Schema** — models understand tools automatically - **Permission integration** — checked before every execution - **Hook support** — PreToolUse/PostToolUse lifecycle events ### 📚 Skills System Skills are **on-demand knowledge** — loaded only when the model needs them: ``` Available Skills: - commit: Create clean, well-structured git commits - review: Review code for bugs, security issues, and quality - debug: Diagnose and fix bugs systematically - plan: Design an implementation plan before coding - test: Write and run tests for code - simplify: Refactor code to be simpler and more maintainable - pdf: PDF processing with pypdf (from anthropics/skills) - xlsx: Excel operations (from anthropics/skills) - ... 40+ more ``` **Compatible with [anthropics/skills](https://github.com/anthropics/skills)** — just copy `.md` files to `~/.openharness/skills/`. ### 🔌 Plugin System **Compatible with [claude-code plugins](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/tree/main/plugins)**. Tested with 12 official plugins: | Plugin | Type | What it does | |--------|------|-------------| | `commit-commands` | Commands | Git commit, push, PR workflows | | `security-guidance` | Hooks | Security warnings on file edits | | `hookify` | Commands + Agents | Create custom behavior hooks | | `feature-dev` | Commands | Feature development workflow | | `code-review` | Agents | Multi-agent PR review | | `pr-review-toolkit` | Agents | Specialized PR review agents | ```bash # Manage plugins oh plugin list oh plugin install oh plugin enable ``` ### 🤝 Ecosystem Workflows OpenHarness is useful as a lightweight harness layer around Claude-style tooling conventions: - **OpenClaw-oriented workflows** can reuse Markdown-first knowledge and command-driven collaboration patterns. - **Claude-style plugins and skills** stay portable because OpenHarness keeps those formats familiar. - **ClawTeam-style multi-agent work** maps well onto the built-in team, task, and background execution primitives. For concrete usage ideas instead of generic claims, see [`docs/SHOWCASE.md`](docs/SHOWCASE.md). ### 🛡️ Permissions Multi-level safety with fine-grained control: | Mode | Behavior | Use Case | |------|----------|----------| | **Default** | Ask before write/execute | Daily development | | **Auto** | Allow everything | Sandboxed environments | | **Plan Mode** | Block all writes | Large refactors, review first | **Path-level rules** in `settings.json`: ```json { "permission": { "mode": "default", "path_rules": [{"pattern": "/etc/*", "allow": false}], "denied_commands": ["rm -rf /", "DROP TABLE *"] } } ``` ### 🖥️ Terminal UI React/Ink TUI with full interactive experience: - **Command picker**: Type `/` → arrow keys to select → Enter - **Permission dialog**: Interactive y/n with tool details - **Mode switcher**: `/permissions` → select from list - **Session resume**: `/resume` → pick from history - **Animated spinner**: Real-time feedback during tool execution - **Keyboard shortcuts**: Shown at the bottom, context-aware ### 📡 CLI ``` oh [OPTIONS] COMMAND [ARGS] Session: -c/--continue, -r/--resume, -n/--name Model: -m/--model, --effort, --max-turns Output: -p/--print, --output-format text|json|stream-json Permissions: --permission-mode, --dangerously-skip-permissions Context: -s/--system-prompt, --append-system-prompt, --settings Advanced: -d/--debug, --mcp-config, --bare Subcommands: oh mcp | oh plugin | oh auth ``` --- ## 📊 Test Results | Suite | Tests | Status | |-------|-------|--------| | Unit + Integration | 114 | ✅ All passing | | CLI Flags E2E | 6 | ✅ Real model calls | | Harness Features E2E | 9 | ✅ Retry, skills, parallel, permissions | | React TUI E2E | 3 | ✅ Welcome, conversation, status | | TUI Interactions E2E | 4 | ✅ Commands, permissions, shortcuts | | Real Skills + Plugins | 12 | ✅ anthropics/skills + claude-code/plugins | ```bash # Run all tests uv run pytest -q # 114 unit/integration python scripts/test_harness_features.py # Harness E2E python scripts/test_real_skills_plugins.py # Real plugins E2E ``` --- ## 🔧 Extending OpenHarness ### Add a Custom Tool ```python from pydantic import BaseModel, Field from openharness.tools.base import BaseTool, ToolExecutionContext, ToolResult class MyToolInput(BaseModel): query: str = Field(description="Search query") class MyTool(BaseTool): name = "my_tool" description = "Does something useful" input_model = MyToolInput async def execute(self, arguments: MyToolInput, context: ToolExecutionContext) -> ToolResult: return ToolResult(output=f"Result for: {arguments.query}") ``` ### Add a Custom Skill Create `~/.openharness/skills/my-skill.md`: ```markdown --- name: my-skill description: Expert guidance for my specific domain --- # My Skill ## When to use Use when the user asks about [your domain]. ## Workflow 1. Step one 2. Step two ... ``` ### Add a Plugin Create `.openharness/plugins/my-plugin/.claude-plugin/plugin.json`: ```json { "name": "my-plugin", "version": "1.0.0", "description": "My custom plugin" } ``` Add commands in `commands/*.md`, hooks in `hooks/hooks.json`, agents in `agents/*.md`. --- ## 🌍 Showcase OpenHarness is most useful when treated as a small, inspectable harness you can adapt to a real workflow: - **Repo coding assistant** for reading code, patching files, and running checks locally. - **Headless scripting tool** for `json` and `stream-json` output in automation flows. - **Plugin and skill testbed** for experimenting with Claude-style extensions. - **Multi-agent prototype harness** for task delegation and background execution. - **Provider comparison sandbox** across Anthropic-compatible backends. See [`docs/SHOWCASE.md`](docs/SHOWCASE.md) for short, reproducible examples. --- ## 🤝 Contributing OpenHarness is a **community-driven research project**. We welcome contributions in: | Area | Examples | |------|---------| | **Tools** | New tool implementations for specific domains | | **Skills** | Domain knowledge `.md` files (finance, science, DevOps...) | | **Plugins** | Workflow plugins with commands, hooks, agents | | **Providers** | Support for more LLM backends (OpenAI, Ollama, etc.) | | **Multi-Agent** | Coordination protocols, team patterns | | **Testing** | E2E scenarios, edge cases, benchmarks | | **Documentation** | Architecture guides, tutorials, translations | ```bash # Development setup git clone https://github.com/HKUDS/OpenHarness.git cd OpenHarness uv sync --extra dev uv run pytest -q # Verify everything works ``` Useful contributor entry points: - [`CONTRIBUTING.md`](CONTRIBUTING.md) for setup, checks, and PR expectations - [`CHANGELOG.md`](CHANGELOG.md) for user-visible changes - [`docs/SHOWCASE.md`](docs/SHOWCASE.md) for real-world usage patterns worth documenting --- ## 📄 License MIT — see [LICENSE](LICENSE). ---

Oh my Harness!
The model is the agent. The code is the harness.